Just 20 Votes Separate Legislature Candidates

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Buffalo, N.Y. - You know that old saying that every vote counts in an election? Well it's certainly the case in the first Erie County legislative district race between Barbara Miller-Williams and Tim Hogues.

Here are the unofficial results: out of more than seven thousand votes cast, Miller-Williams leads the incumbent Hogues by just 20 votes.

At one point Tuesday night, the two were separated by a single vote.

So what happens from here?

Well there are still more than 400 absentee ballots to be counted.

Next Tuesday morning the board will open the absentee ballots.

Then right after that the final canvassing of all the votes will begin.

Democratic Elections Commissioner Dennis Ward: "Everything that has been reported so far is unofficial and at the official canvass we will tabulate not just the votes that are on the machines, but we will also include the numbers for the absentee ballots as well as the affidavit ballots and then there are usually a few emergency ballots when the machines might have temporarily gone down."

The board estimates that it's official canvass will be done sometime next Wednesday.

But depending on how close the race is at that point, either side could go to court and challenge the final result.